The subject invention relates to carrier management systems for enabling a user to determine the shipping charges for shipping of parcels by a selected carrier. More particularly, the subject invention is directed to such a system wherein discounted shipping charges can be determined for groups of parcels to be shipped to a single consignee.
In the shipping of parcels, it is frequently desirable to provide for shipping by a carrier selected from a group of carriers. In current shipping practice, provisions must be made for shipping of parcels by two major carriers; specifically the United States postal service (USPS) and the United Parcel Service (UPS), a private carrier, as well as a large number of smaller private carriers. In prior tracking or recording systems, various data concerning parcels or groups of parcels to be shipped were entered by an operator so that charges for each transaction, i.e. shipment of a parcel or consolidated group of parcels, could be determined. The data included information relating to the shipment, such as, the selection of the carrier, the number of parcels in a consolidated shipment, the weight of a parcel, delivery address data, invoice number, date, time, etc. Typically, weight could be entered either manually, through a keyboard, or automatically by a scale; while other data were generally entered by an operator through a keyboard, barcode reader, or similar input.
Such systems however did not include a capability for determining discounted shipping charges for groups of parcels to be shipped to a single consignee, where the group of parcels met certain predetermined requirements such as, total weight of the group or average weight of the group. Other possible requirements might relate to the total number of parcels in the group, minimum or maximum weight of parcels in the group, and other restrictions which might be of concern to the carrier.
Typically, known carrier management systems are disclosed, for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,325,440; 4,495,581; and 4,595,984.
One such system is the J90M system, marketed by the assignee of the present application. The J90M includes a microprocessor, keyboard and display in a single integrated console, a separate scale, and a separate printer. The J90M has the capability to weight parcels; input shipment data and determine charges as described above; and prints address labels and the like as well as manifest for parcels to be shipped by a selected carrier.
The J90M has a capability for handling "multi-packages", that is groups of packages which are to be delivered to a single consignee. The user enters a parcel identification number and shipment data for the first package in the group and the system automatically appends a distinct suffix to the parcel identification number for each package in the group and uses the shipment data input for the first package to compute the shipping charges for each package. The J90M however does not have a capability for handling group discounts which maybe provided by a carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,397; to: Barns-Slavin et al.; issued: Dec. 10, 1991; for: Carrier Management System Enabling Determination of Charges With Discounts, describes a carrier management system which has a capability for handling discount rate structures. In this system a discount from the standard charge is defined by manually entering a discount as a percentage, flat rate, or sum of a percentage and a flat rate, into the system during set up for one or more classes of service selected from the plurality of classes of service available. These discounts maybe allowed only after a certain cumulative total dollar amount, number of pieces, or weight have been shipped using a particularly class of service. (Note column 6, lines 15-31). That is, these discounts are provided not for a group of parcels sent to a single consignee, but to high volume users of particular classes of service.
Thus, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a carrier management system having an easily implemented and flexible system for determining discounted shipping charges for groups of parcels sent to a single consignee.